INDIANAPOLIS—Assistant Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) released the following statement on the Indiana Court of Appeals ruling in favor of plaintiffs seeking a preliminary injunction based on religious freedom claims against Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 1, Indiana’s abortion ban passed in 2022:

“I am grateful for this ruling, even if imperfect, from the Indiana Courts yesterday. It reaffirms what we already know: access to abortion is a vital healthcare service in which the government should not intervene. While this injunction should extend to all people, not just these plaintiffs exercising their sincere religious beliefs, it is a step in the right direction toward reestablishing the right to this health procedure in Indiana.

“Unfortunately, even with the injunction affirmed in this ruling, access to abortion in Indiana remains almost completely inaccessible. So even when the courts acknowledge this fundamental religious and personal freedom to obtain an abortion for a few plaintiffs, the procedure is still materially inaccessible to them, not to mention every Hoosier not included in the court order.

“We must remain steadfast in our fight to repeal SEA 1, so that all Hoosiers have the options and access to the healthcare they desperately need.”